Thursday, January 31, 2013

On page fourteen of the linked newspaper, Milwaukee Journal, January 31, 1913:

There was much lifting of eyebrows and quiet speculation today as to just how the Giants will look when they step on to the Polo grounds wearing violet uniforms.

Frequenters of Broadway concluded Johnny McGraw’s crew would be about the sweetest looking bunch of men on any diamond. The manager of the Giants asked what were the colors of New York university, and when a friend told him violet, he said:

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Minor league deals:
P LaTroy Hawkins to the Mets
IF Bill Hall to the Angels
IF Andy LaRoche to the Blue Jays
OF Chris Pettit, P Rob Delaney and P Manny Delcarmen to the Orioles
P Andrew Brackman to the White Sox
P Tim Stauffer and P Arturo Lopez to the Padres
P Mike Zagurski and P Kyle Waldrop to the Pirates

In 1996, three National League teams changed their stadium names to gain corporate money. Thus Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium became Cinergy Field, San Francisco's horrible Candlestick Park became the horribly named 3Com Park, and Florida’s Joe Robbie Stadium became Pro Player Stadium.

Before the 1996 trend of corporate-naming rights, what other stadiums changed their names (for corporate or non-corporate reasons)?

The Rays have added both the ex-Leo Nunez and the ex-Fausto Carmona. Too bad Santiago Casilla just re-signed with the Giants, or they could help out those two guys by bringing in the only player to become MORE famous after going from a fake name to a real name.

I'm not sure about the other two parks, but in San Francisco, it was the city and not the team that sold the naming rights and pocketed the money.

Vaguely related - speaking of Candlestick Park - last night the SF Film Noir festival showed an early-60's suspenser called "Experiment in Terror," shot in & around SF. The movie ends up at the 'Stick, with a Dodgers/Giants game - Drysdale, Roseboro, Kuenn, Mike McCormick (?), at least, all recognizable on the field, and a little bit of Vin Scully's broadcast audible, too. People who like this sort of thing will find this to be the sort of thing they would like.
Also: Lee Remick and Stefanie Powers. Mmmmm.

EDIT - not sure exactly what year it's supposed to be in the movie, since the picture of the President at the FBI office keeps switching back & forth between Ike & JFK. But it's somewhere in there.

Did the old stadiums of the Brewers, Rangers, and Indians change names at some point?

Wiki says Arlington Stadium (Rangers) was originally "Turnpike Stadium" when it hosted a minor league team, but renamed Arlington Stadium when the Rangers came to town. I had never heard that before.

The Brewers and Milwaukee Braves played in "Milwaukee County Stadium". It was never more creatively named.

The Indians played in Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the only name it ever knew, although it was unofficially called "Lakefront Stadium" at times.

I believe the new stadium was called "Gateway Stadium" while in construction, but was "Jacobs Field" by the time it opened. Shea Stadium was originally called "Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium", but was renamed Shea before it opened.

Baltimore Memorial Stadium began as Baltimore Stadium, and later Venable Stadium, and was unoffically called Babe Ruth Stadium.

The Baker Bowl in Philly had a bunch of different names, and offically was called "National League Park."

KC Municipal Stadium was called "Muehlebach Field" and "Blues Stadium", but was renamed Municipal Stadium when the A's moved to town.

How many other Birthday Teams have three Hall of Famers, let alone three first-ballot Hall of Famers? And for good measure, Tioga George Burns made an unassisted triple play and Charlie Robertson threw a perfect game.